Kickball
by JediAnn Solo
Summary: Kirby is briefly mistaken for a kickball. Oh, woe for the puffball!


_Author's note: Yes, I'm supposed to be writing my Sonic story, whatever. But unfortunately, I've been pretty dry of inspiration, so I wrote this little ficlet as a "warm-up". Enjoy!_

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The silence was complete bliss. The colors around him were cheerful, but at the same time soothing. They may have been nothing compared to Dreamland, but still a treat for the eyes. The gardens outside the Smash Brothers' virutal arena were some of the most beautiful relaxing spots he's ever been in. Kirby leaned back against the bark of the tree, taking in the cool shade in this warm summer day. He could hear the laughs and shouts of the youngest smash fighters playing kickball not too far from him. His mouth started to form into a smile, suddenly remembering why he was here in the first place.

The Smash Tournament.

It was a tough competition to enter, but he had made it by the skin of his teeth. (okay, he doesn't have teeth, but come on! It's a metaphor!) Only twenty-five contestants had made it and he was one of those lucky few. Everyone else was allowed to do as they pleased until the tournament was over, so they mostly hung out at the local hotel or out here in the gardens. Kirby's tournament was tomorrow, so he had the next nineteen hours to relax before his fight. They had not annouced who the opponents were... that was decided at random right before the match. But it didn't matter. Nothing could faze him from this opportunity.

The pink puffball closed his eyes serenely, hoping to catch a nap under the shade. A cute sound resembling a sigh escaped his lips as he drifted off to sleep...

THEN SUDDENLY!

"LOOK OUT!" someone cried.

Kirby shot up and was on his stubby feet in an instant. A large orange sphere around the same size as his body was coming at him full-speed!

In a moment of panic, he did what he always did under an unexpected assault.

He opened his mouth and swallowed the object whole.

His cheeks full and his body twice his normal size, he discarded the object and it fell into the bushes behind him. But because of this act, his special abilities kicked in, transforming him into Ball Kirby.

Almost immediately, a group of smashers came running up to him. The group consisted of Ness, Young Link, Popo, and Nana. The two formers looked just as they always did, but the ice climbing siblings were without their parkas, both sporting shirts (of their respective colors), shorts, and aurburn colored ponytails (Nana's longer than Popo's). Kirby looked up at the four questioningly as they ran full-speed... without stopping... and without showing any signs of stopping.

THEN SUDDENLY!

"I got it! I got it!" Popo cried out, hopeful to impress his two new friends with how quickly he had learned to play this game. He leaped right behind Ball Kirby and delivered a hard kick that sent the puffball flying into the air. The four kids watched as their "ball" got lodged onto the trees branches. Then they turned bright red when it fell back to the floor, back to its original form: a dazed, swirly-eyed Kirby.

Ness stepped up first. "Sorry about that, Kirby. Did we hurt you?" The puffball responded with a slow shake of his head... er, body. "Good. But can we have our ball back, please?"

Kirby complied and started to deeply inhale anything that was in the direction of the bushes. He then turned to the kids and spewed out some sticks, leaves, and the orange kickball. He smacked his lips a bit at the yucky rubber taste it left in his mouth. Yeah, he's had worse in his mouth before (like Donkey Kong... it took him two days to get the taste of monkey feces off his mouth), but he'd prefer a watermelon over a dirty ball anyday. The four kids were disgusted as well, but at the sight of their ball completely covered in the little alien's drool.

"EWW!" Popo and Nana cried out simultaneously, shielding ther eyes from the gross sight. Kirby, oblivious to the twins' disgust, glanced at them curiously. Young Link rolled his eyes at his friends' childish behavior. He had always been the most mature of the four. He stepped over to the drool-caked ball, picked it up, and started walking back to the open grass plain. Nana looked like she was just about to throw up.

"Gross! How could you just pick it up like that!" she cried out, trailing after him. Popo and Ness headed back as well, waving and shouting their thanks to Kirby.

'Well, that little intervention didn't last long', thought Kirby. The happy little alien sunk back to his shady spot under the tree and tried to go back to his nap. All was calm and silent once again. Trees swaying gently, calming scents emerging from the fully bloomed flowers... ah, you got the idea.

THEN SUDDENLY!

"..."

Ah, just kidding. Kirby had a nice nap and the kids went back to their kickball game, despite the fact the ball moved so much slower with all that drool attached to it.

**THE END**


End file.
